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Prince William Sound, Alaska

Landslide Hazard and Preliminary Tsunami Assessment

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2022 Chaos Canyon Landslide in Colorado:

Insights revealed by seismic analysis, field investigations, and remote sensing

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How long do runoff-generated debris-flow hazards persist after wildfire?

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Evolution of a Landslide

Barry Arm fjord, Alaska

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Landslide Hazards Program

The primary objective of the National Landslide Hazards Program is to reduce long-term losses from landslide hazards by improving our understanding of the causes of ground failure and suggesting mitigation strategies.

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2024 Landslide Grant Proposals

Image: 2007 Landslide in La Jolla, California

The Application Period for FY2024 Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program External Grants Proposals is now open. Proposals will be accepted through June 17, 2024.

Learn how to apply

Prince William Sound Landslide Hazards

View of mountains and glacier in a fjord

This video provides a brief overview of the Prince William Sound landslide hazards project.  

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News

USGS Seeks Landslide Risk Reduction Proposals

USGS Seeks Landslide Risk Reduction Proposals

Assessing landslide risks in Prince William Sound 

Assessing landslide risks in Prince William Sound 

Post-fire Hydrologic Response Along the Central California Coast

Post-fire Hydrologic Response Along the Central California Coast

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Publications

Evaluation of debris-flow building damage forecasts

Reliable forecasts of building damage due to debris flows may provide situational awareness and guide land and emergency management decisions. Application of debris-flow runout models to generate such forecasts requires combining hazard intensity predictions with fragility functions that link hazard intensity with building damage. In this study, we evaluated the performance of building damage fore
Authors
Katherine R. Barnhart, Christopher R. Miller, Francis K. Rengers, Jason W. Kean
By
Landslide Hazards Program, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

Satellite Interferometry Landslide Detection and Preliminary Tsunamigenic Plausibility Assessment in Prince William Sound, Southcentral Alaska

Regional mapping of actively deforming landslides, including measurements of landslide velocity, is integral for hazard assessments in paraglacial environments. These inventories are also critical for describing the potential impacts that the warming effects of climate change have on slope instability in mountainous and cryospheric terrain. The objective of this study is to identify slow-moving la

Authors
Lauren N. Schaefer, Jinwook Kim, Dennis M. Staley, Zhong Lu, Katherine R. Barnhart
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Volcano Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Volcano Science Center

The 2022 Chaos Canyon landslide in Colorado: Insights revealed by seismic analysis, field investigations, and remote sensing

An unusual, high-alpine, rapid debris slide originating in ice-rich debris occurred on June 28, 2022, at 16:33:16 MDT at the head of Chaos Canyon, a formerly glacier-covered valley in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, USA. In this study, we integrate eyewitness videos and seismic records of the event with meteorological data, field observations, pre- and post-event satellite imagery, and uncrewed
Authors
Kate E. Allstadt, Jeffrey A. Coe, Elaine Collins, Francis K. Rengers, Anne Mangeney, Scott M. Esser, Jana Pursley, William L. Yeck, John Bellini, Lance R. Brady
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center
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Science

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Image: Oso, Washington Landslide

Landslide Mechanisms and Forecasting

When and where will landslides happen? How far will they go, how big and how fast will they be? These questions are difficult to answer because many factors contribute to landslide occurrence, magnitude, and mobility; some factors remain unknown, while nearly all are very difficult to quantify and account for. Researchers use surface, subsurface, remote sensing, and laboratory observations along...
By
Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center
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Landslide Mechanisms and Forecasting

When and where will landslides happen? How far will they go, how big and how fast will they be? These questions are difficult to answer because many factors contribute to landslide occurrence, magnitude, and mobility; some factors remain unknown, while nearly all are very difficult to quantify and account for. Researchers use surface, subsurface, remote sensing, and laboratory observations along...
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View of from ridgetop with equipment in the foreground and a populated area below

Las Lomas Landslide Monitoring Station - Recent Conditions

Recent Monitoring Data
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Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center
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Las Lomas Landslide Monitoring Station - Recent Conditions

Recent Monitoring Data
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View of from ridgetop with equipment in the foreground and a populated area below

Postfire Landslide Monitoring Station: “Las Lomas” (2016 Fish Fire) near Duarte, California

Wildfire can increase landslide susceptibility in mountainous terrain. The USGS maintains postfire landslide monitoring stations to track hillslope hydrologic conditions in the years following fire.
By
Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center
link

Postfire Landslide Monitoring Station: “Las Lomas” (2016 Fish Fire) near Duarte, California

Wildfire can increase landslide susceptibility in mountainous terrain. The USGS maintains postfire landslide monitoring stations to track hillslope hydrologic conditions in the years following fire.
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